Interview
Michael Swan & Catherine Walter
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On Grammar
What is your definition of "Grammar"?
MS & CW:
The regular structural patterns in language, and their description.
How would you respond to the teacher who says that fluency in English is
more important than knowing the rules?
MS & CW: Boots are more important
than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy
are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably good English,
not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help
with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood,
declarative knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge
– so that knowing some rules can help some students to learn some
English at least some of the time. (But as we all know, students often
spend far too much time learning rules and not nearly enough time practising
the language. That's a bad thing.)
'How English Works' is one of the
few grammar books that don't actually have the word 'grammar'
in its title. It also has colour and pictures! How else have you differentiated
the book with the others in the market?
MS & CW:
Short clear simple explanations; varied and interesting exercise types;
'do-it-yourself' grammar discovery exercises; selective use
of authentic corpus-derived material; work on the grammar of spoken English;
the use of layout, design and other visual elements to focus learners'
attention on what is important; a general message that grammar doesn't
have to be grey and boring.
Dictionaries are being made available over the
Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of
interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can technology play
in the teaching and study of grammar?
MS & CW:
Unpopular as it may have been recently, practice of forms is important
for the development of fluency in a foreign language. (We seem to accept
that musicians need to practise scales, and learner drivers need to practise
coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to
language learners' needing to practise forms.) Anything that can
make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency
more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology
can be a real boon.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for
individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of
forms – perhaps not the same path for each form or each learner.
On Writing
How did you get involved in writing EFL textbooks?
MS: After teaching for ten years I had a big pile of notes on grammar, and
took time out to try to turn them into a book. The draft was accepted
by OUP, and ultimately turned into 'Practical English Usage'.
At around the same time CUP, who were starting to build up their ELT list,
also asked me to do a book. One thing led to another …
CW: My first EFL book was a reading skills book. I submitted it to CUP because,
after using what was around at the time, I thought I could do better.
What advice would you give to a potential course writer?
MS & CW:
Don't give up your day job. Be prepared for the writing to take 18 times
as long as you expect. Bear in mind that your course may be used by students
very different from yours, and by teachers very different from you, including
some who are not highly trained or experienced. Make sure you choose a
publisher who can edit, design, produce and market your course properly.
Be aware that the years of work you will put in are a very high-risk investment:
many courses, including some very good ones, sink without trace. Don't
try to do it alone – work with a collaborator you trust and respect.
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